Saturday, January 18, 2014

Indigo Children

Completing a first feature film is no small feat.So, kudos to Writer/Director Eric Chaney for
getting Indigo Children onto the screen.

However, it is not unusual that what a novice filmmaker
says he/she was trying to communicate is not what the audience sees.And, that was the case here.

But, first, the good news.Cinematographer Jay Hufford did an admirable
job of capturing broad images, close-ups and even super close-ups of a
butterfly, a bee, a caterpillar.And, Composers
Jesse Lee Herdman’s and Trevett McCandliss’s music was delightful.

As for the actors, the young female lead Isabelle McNally
is both extremely engaging and watchable. With proper training, she should have a
successful career.

And, for the film’s treat, I’m reminded of the Old Actor’s
line in The Fantasticks, “There are no small actors; only small parts.”
Suzanne Lynch, as the male lead’s mother,
who is distraught over the death of her husband, gives a haunting performance
without uttering a word. The scene where, having overdosed on pills, she rubs
the ashes of her husband over her face and body is truly poignant and is the
high-point of the film.Casting
Directors, Producers and Directors take note… If you can’t get the great
Melissa Leo for your film, give Suzanne Lynch a try.You might be pleasantly surprised.

Now, for the bad news.From the very badly phrased first line, which is repeated in the middle
and at the film’s end, the script is very weak and the editing is a schizophrenic
mish-mash. If Chaney wants a career, I suggest he work with and listen to a strong script consultant or,
better yet, concentrate on his budding directing skills.

But, the film’s worst offense of all is its title.While it’s perfectly okay for a character to claim
she might be an Indigo, it is disrespectful to the audience to purport that
your film is about Indigos and it is a dishonor to the true Indigos, who are
here to help us. A more fitting title,
in keeping with the subject matter, might have been The Kindred; or, in
keeping with the movie’s glacial pace, Molasses.

About Me

Brian Porzak: I am a cinephile who likes to view films with a live audience. My taste runs the gamut, including indies, studio films, foreign films and most all genres. Because I see so many films, friends often ask me what to see. So, I thought I'd blog about what is worth seeing or not. As a writer/filmmaker myself, I hope to give a more uplifting perspective than the typical critic. Filmmaking is tremendously difficult. Just because some problems might exist in a particular work does not, necessarily, destroy its enjoyability and I think that is necessary to point out to would-be viewers.
See www.Aix-en-Film.com